Over the coming weeks as we head towards our 3rd birthday, we will be profiling members of the dedicated coaching team here at CrossFit 4504 to give you a more personal look into what drives them to help our community achieve their goals. We start with our affiliate owner and Head Coach, Lisa Hetherington…

Lisa was a talented golfer for many years before she discovered CrossFit. She was born with muscular issues which meant sports associated with fine motor skills were quite difficult, yet somehow astounded doctors that she could master a skill like golf, so was encouraged to stay with it. Never being a natural athlete she battled weight issues throughout her life and the bullying associated with that, both as a child and also as an adult. However she has always refused to let that stop her trying to be the best she can and also giving of herself to her community.

Lisa tried her first CrossFit class in 2011 and immediately felt at home and accepted as equal – a feeling she hadn’t experienced very often among her peers. CrossFit gave her a physical outlet and taught her that she could overcome most of her limitations and still achieve her goals. She has gone on to compete in Games days, Strongman competitions and powerlifting, where she won Gold at the GPA Worlds in Sydney, 2014.

She has also developed a passion for Judging and has been to the Pacific Regionals as a Judge in 2014, 2016 & 2017. Being involved in all aspects of the CrossFit community is something which she thrives on and enjoys immensely.

Why CrossFit? How has it changed your life?

CrossFit has given me the confidence and belief to see the best in people without judgement. It has changed my life in so many ways and through becoming a coach and affiliate owner I can pass on the many positives I’ve experienced. I love having created a space where people can be themselves and forge towards their own goals. Being part of a supportive encouraging community makes everything easier, and during all stages of my CrossFit journey from athlete, coach and affiliate owner it has been the one constant I have cherished and nurtured within CrossFit 4504.

Coach Lisa giving Lance a well done

What’s your favourite movement?

Deadlift for sure, but I do love a good Farmer’s Carry or Hang Power Clean. Anything heavy really!!

Lisa at GPC Nationals 2014

What do love most about coaching CrossFit?

Seeing that moment when the switch flicks and people realise they can do it. That moment when they achieve something they never thought possible. That swells my heart every single time! Also realising that as a coach I can have a positive influence on a whole family, and being part of our CrossFit community which helps them find a common bond. I get the greatest joy when a member comes to me and tells me how something outside the gym has gotten better, whether it be their sport of rugby or netball or even doing something they never thought they would like an obstacle course race. I want my members to be able to use the fitness and skills they develop in the gym to help them thrive outside of it, to lead fun, full and functional lives.

Willing Michael to make a lift in the Open

Who’s your favourite Games Athlete?

Too many to name, lol! If pushed I would say Chris Spealler for his endless fight and I have always loved watching Sam Briggs compete. I was stoked to meet her in 2013. Most recently though I have respected the journey Alethea Boon has undertaken to comeback from serious injury in 2016 to once again make it to the Games in 2017. To witness her pure joy at making Regionals this year was something special, and a good reminder about what is important in life and not taking things for granted.

Can you remember your first WOD?

Totally! Death by 10m. I thought I would die but I actually made it further than I thought. And to have complete strangers cheering and high-fiving me was an amazing feeling. I was as scared as anything walking into that box for the first time but within minutes I knew it was where I was meant to be.

The worst ‘Girl’ and why?

Worst girl? I’m not sure I really have one as I love the challenge of them all. Well if pushed for an answer Karen isn’t a favourite of mine!! But there is that sense of achievement once you finish her. One of my CrossFit highlights was accidentally starting Karen (150 Wall Balls (10/6kg For Time), at the men’s weight (10kg) and my coach making me finish it after realising half way through.

Returning to training after serious injury can be a daunting prospect. When we say serious, we’re talking surgery, torn ligaments, nerve damage, hospital stays. Movements which you used to take for granted are now seemingly impossible to achieve. There are many benefits to continuing your training after an injury challenge and the following 3 points might help you feel in control and safe about your return to training.

Number 1 Patience

Your type of injury will determine the time you will require to recover fully. Obviously back surgery is a fairly major issue and full recovery could extend over 12 months. Same with reconstructive surgery. Torn ligaments may only require a few months to fully recover. Every athlete is different. One thing you will notice after serious injury is this… You will not be able to do the same exercises and movements pre-injury for quite a while. If you have an elbow injury, RX pushups will not happen this week- or next. If you have had knee surgery, your 1RM Squat is a long way down the track. Damage to shoulder ligaments? No butterfly or kipping pullups for you just yet, my friend!

This actually highlights the beauty of CrossFit – every movement is SCALEABLE. Squats can be lunges or making time to focus on your upper body strengths, running is now rowing/airbike, pullups for now are dumbell presses or having an opportunity to work on that squat range and strength. You can still working the muscles of the affected area, but not stressing them while the injury is recovering, or alternately work another area and turn it into a strength.

Basically, you need to accept that recovery takes time. Stay positive and don’t expect results to be immediate – or easy. Spend time talking with your coach about where you are at, your frustrations and where you are headed.

Melina is one our top performers and had to undergo a knee recon after a soccer injury at Easter. She’s used this time to work diligently through her rehab, listens to her body, and followed some additional programs provided by Head Coach Lisa to work on her upper body strength.

Number 2 Listen to and be guided by the experts

These are the people who are trained (or should be!) to know what’s going on with your body. If you are recovering from a serious injury, your coach will know what movements are going to affect the injured area. A good coach will work with your healthcare practioner to help program a scaled version of the workout. Each and every day. A great coach will realise and encourage every little milestone you achieve in your rehabilitation and celebrate the success of each returning movement with you.

If you have a physio or doctor who understands the basis of CrossFit you will have someone who understands how movements can be scaled to suit your recovery.

Calvin Schluter, from EveryBodies Physio, at Brighton in QLD, has this advice for those returning to crossfit whilst recovering from serious injury…

“Exercising and staying active is very important for aiding recovery from any type of injury. For certain injuries like low back pain, prolonged rest and avoidance of activity can lead to higher levels of pain, greater disability, poorer recovery and longer absense from work. Returning to any type of exercise after an injury will always require beginning at a lower level, and CrossFit is great because it is modifiable. Any CrossFit workout can be scaled to suit the level of activity related to your stage of rehabilitation. Before starting, it is important to chat to your coach and physio to find out what levels of exercise are safe for you.”

Rob came to us with a pre exisiting back injury and initially wasn’t lifting any load from the ground. We modified his workout movements and loads and within a few short months he was able to fully participate in the CrossFit Open in 2017

For those who are recovering from serious injuries – chances are you’ll have a rehabilitation program set by your doctor or physiotherapist. STICK TO THE PLAN. Exercise within the limits provided to you by a healthcare professional. Do the exercises they give you. Yes, they’re frustrating. Yes, they’re boring. But they are the movements that will help you see improvements, week after week. Do them for 2 days and then sit on your butt because they were a little painful or you couldn’t be bothered and you will soon discover that your recovery will be infinitely longer and more difficult. Work with your coach to incorporate these exercises into a workout. When you’re surrounded by friends, even the most mundane exercises become fun!

Number 3 Keep Moving

Reconstructive surgery, torn ligaments and other serious injuries can honestly be hard to push through at times during recovery. Your body is still in repair and your brain will send all sorts of signals, weird tingly feelings and sometimes pain. But those of you who keep moving in some way, will recover much more quickly.

Exercises should be low key to begin with until you have been cleared by your health care practioner to start adding weight or become more mobile. Strengthening the injured area is vital over time and will aid in prevention of injury in the future. You need to ensure that listening to your body becomes a priority while working out. Pushing through pain to go faster, become stronger, more mobile is something associated with pretty much every sport, including CrossFit, but if you are returning from serious injury – do not ignore severe pain! If you experience severe pain to the recovering area during a workout – stop. Decide whether that pain is good or bad, whether the movement you are performing is within the limits of your set recovery plan, and if in doubt over anything you are doing, speak to your coach and wait for physio/doctor approval before attempting that movement again.

Again, a CrossFit WOD will always provide an option to scale and a good coach will understand how to achieve this. You will still be working hard, just not affecting an area under repair or rehabilitation.

Sares learning to love the Air Bike as she overcomes a case of Plantar Fasciitis

Head coach and programmer at Crossfit 4504, Lisa Hetherington, agrees with the benefits of scaling for injury..

“At CrossFit 4504 we have many athletes who start with us with pre existing injuries or issues. We work around these with the use of scaling, or in some cases giving them a completely individual program for that day. The benefit is they are still able to come to class, be art of their community and spend time within the positive environment we foster here. This has a huge impact on recovery mentally as well as physically. We also have a close relationship with a team of allied health professionals and consult about our clients regularly, to ensure they’re making the best possible progress”

Don’t let injury hold you back. Learn to see through the frustration to see it as an opportunity to get stronger in other areas and a chance to reset and refocus on technique.

Jan has used CrossFit to overcome many issues and successfully rehabbed after a torn meniscus she sustained doing a 100km walk.

Tara has battled a bulging disc and other issues along the way. Our team have always modified her programs to work out the issues when they have flared, and she’s still able to come and train and be part of our community.

The focus of our program here at CrossFit 4504 is about guiding our members to find wellness and avoid the current rate people are succumbing to chronic diseases such as metabolic diseases, lack of function in body e.g. unable to move themselves, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and a whole raft of others.

CrossFit the training methodology has a different focus than CrossFit the sport and thats an important differentiation to make. We are training and supporting our members to get more from life and to lead a better quality of life.

Lee’s story below is an example of how successful our program can be, when used in conjunction with a healthy diet, and working closely with allied health professionals to guide their progress. Having a medical condition doesn’t mean you have to or should opt out of physical activity, with the right team behind you and the right advice and support, you can improve from where you are now, and have better long term outcomes.Coach Lisa

When I was young I put a lot of weight on very quickly.

Lee – Type 2 Diabetic & CrossFitter

In high school I was pretty active, I ran, played sports but in my first six months out of school I had a “uni student” diet and no exercise at all. The result of this sudden surge of inactivity, processed food and weight gain was that I would be diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes at twenty years old.

Twenty years later I still live with Diabetes but I’m proud to say that it’s managed well through a combination of food, medication and of course CrossFit.

It wasn’t always like this though.

At twenty, nothing will kill you. At least that’s what you subconsciously believe and the problem with a disease like Diabetes Type 2 is that it sneaks up on you. It takes your life bit by bit, quietly without you noticing it. Your life expectancy drops by ten years, your quality of life towards the end takes an even sharper drop. But it doesn’t happen straight away and you can ignore it for years, stubbornly, angrily, like I did.

At my lowest point I was sick, I had severe nosebleeds all the time, ten years on it had caught up with me. I eventually and reluctantly went to see the doctor and she said simply, that I was now at critical and if I didn’t make changes I was going to die.

Lots of medication. Not at insulin just yet which was something but I had a bunch of pills to take and a diet to change and exercise to do.

I made changes, but I struggled a lot. I relapsed into bad habits after I got my first frozen shoulder.

But then I discovered functional fitness at a local gym. Lots of varied functional movements like sledgehammers and tire flips. Movements that made sense and were fun and frankly addictive. I got my blood sugars down to just off normal, that is to say, the numbers that a non-diabetic has.

Then the second frozen shoulder happened, and the progress stalled and I think the program itself lacked something I needed. At the same time, my Doctor changed and everything spiraled out of control. I was exhausted with it all, and angry again and depressed and to be honest I was scared. I did start power lifting and as much fun as it was, from my personal disease management it didn’t have the impact I needed.

Then I found CrossFit, or maybe it found me. I had up until this point bought into the whole CrossFit is a cult and is bad for you story. My wife was the first to try it and she raved about the positive experience at CrossFit 4504. There was a focus on proper form, options to scale and most importantly a methodology.

When I first started I was asked what my goal was and I said I wanted to be in the best shape I’ve ever been at forty. Physically and mentally, though I kept the mental part to myself. Probably the biggest part of being in the best shape was managing my diabetes, not just throwing pills at it and miserably eating a low GI diet or altogether just ignoring the problem. CrossFit has given me the tools not only inside the gym to monitor and build on my progress but that same mentality follows me into my management of the disease.

Taking part in the 2017 CrossFit Open

I have numbers in my bloodwork that are goals to work towards with my Doctor, we are working on the most effective combination of medication and exercise. Each dreaded blood test is a chance to track more data, work out where I need to work harder. My diet is quite good but it’s not perfect, what I’ve learned though unfortunate trial and error is that some of my indulgences are workable as long as two out of three parts of my plan are working. If I’m consistent with my medication and my training then there’s some leeway with my diet (not a free for all but I’ll take whatever slack I can get).

The approach CrossFit takes to exercise has completely changed my Diabetes experience, the mixture of heavy lifting and metabolic conditioning has made the medication really effective and as I become better with my diet, which you naturally start doing anyway, I’m confident that I’m going to claw a couple of those years back.

I wish I’d discovered CrossFit years ago, I have complications from the years of neglect that could have been avoided completely instead of managing or trying to reverse the damage.

I can’t stress it enough that if you have Diabetes Type 2 and you want to increase the effectiveness of your medication (or even reduce it) and minimise the impact it can have on your health long term then CrossFit is designed to help.

Come try CrossFit 4504 and see the difference it will make in managing those blood sugars!

For a limited time, we are offering a Complimentary 7 Day Trial so you can experience fully who we are and what we do. Get in touch to get started.

Have you ever tried a gym that sounds perfect online, only to discover that it’s not the all inclusive experience you were after?

Does every session you attend finish with a quick “Well done, see you next week”, slash tomorrow, slash next time you want to hand over some more $$ for a semi-satisfying sweat with no real concern over how you actually FEEL? No concern with improving your technique? No concern with strategies on becoming more mobile, or helping you get more for your hard-earned dollar? Or how about banking on the that most of their members won’t turn up anyway but they’ve got you locked into a complicated contract?

Do you find yourself wondering why you bothered to drag your sorry ass to a less than memorable session after a long day, when 3 beers (or insert favourite beverage here) and Netflix would have reduced your stress levels more effectively?

If your answer was YES to any of the above, read on to hear about our philosophy at CrossFit 4504…..

Our passion is your overall WELLBEING…

Why?

Because we want you to set goals, to push your current physical limits and make gains. But more importantly, we want to help you set strategies to achieve those goals, so that you are in control of your achievements, and your confidence grows more than your muscles. We want you to smile more, and be more confident in your daily life, we want you to have fun achieving those goals.

Kelsie working towards her goals

Because our focus is NOT to have you ‘bikini’ or ‘budgie smuggler’ ready for Summer! Our focus is to help you feel good about YOU- no matter what you look like. And we know and understand that feeling cool about you is established in your head, not your booty!

And because we genuinely care about wanting you to reach your full potential – physically and mentally. To be the best bloody version of you there is!!

We want you to work hard, but not to the point where your technique collapses. This leads to injury, which is what we don’t want. The RELATIONSHIPS we create with our members are so important to us and our programming is balanced to ensure your longevity.

Tara in action

Our amazing coaches are available before, during and after class to help you achieve success. In person, online, on the phone – we want you to realise that we are committed to your success. And we know that SUCCESS is defined differently for each and every member in our wonderful community.

Coach Lisa giving Lance a well done

Sounds like something you are looking for? A holistic, no BS gym that will not only help you RESET your focus, but ACHIEVE your potential? Then give us a call. Send us a message. Let us get you started at CrossFit 4504 and prove to you how awesome you really are.

For a limited time we are offering a Complimentary 7 Day Trial so you can experience fully who we are and what we do. Get in touch to get started.

CrossFit is for everyone! Every day, real women are giving the constantly varied, high-intensity mix of cardio, weightlifting and gymnastic movement a crack…and loving it. Here’s a few reasons why we think everyone, especially women should give it a go.

1. You’ll learn proper technique and have a coach always correcting your form to help you progress faster and avoid injury.

If you’ve always been to scared to use the weight section of a gym because you didn’t know what to do, at CrossFit 4504 we solve that problem by taking the time to teach you everything you need to know. We get you started with our On Ramp program which is 3×1:1 sessions with a coach to teach you the common movements and fill you with confidence before jumping into classes.

Coach Lance keeping an eye on Kelsie

2. Bored with doing the same routines? Or don’t know what to do when you get to the gym?

At CrossFit 4504 we do that hard work for you, all the programming is done by our Head Coach so you never have to think about what to work on. We program with a balance of strength and conditioning work as well as other skills to ensure you are well rounded in your development. We regularly work on weaknesses and no 2 workouts are the same

We use all sorts of ‘toys’ in our workouts

3. Everything can be scaled and modified.

If you look around CrossFit 4504 you’ll see a variety of ages, amounts of experience and levels of ability. Yet everyone’s getting a workout that’s challenging to their own ability That’s because scaling weight appropriately is encouraged, and nearly all CrossFit movements can be modified. For example, a new athlete may modify push ups by using a box or opting for a lighter a kettlebell. And once again our awesome coaches are there to guide you every single day.

Marie doing modified Handstand Push Up Skills

4. A whole new bunch of friends and a community to support you.

Some people may call CrossFit a cult, but we will tell you it’s a community, a family. Our coaches and community create a sense of teamwork and camaraderie. It’s a regular occurrence at CrossFit 4504 to have the rest of the class encourage those yet to finish by doing extra reps with them or going out to a last run with them to cheer them on while they finish a workout.

The team cheering Tara on as she tries for her first pull up

5. It’s like personal training, but more affordable.

Yes, CrossFit is typically a significant financial investment. But, it’s much more affordable than sessions with a personal trainer, and you’ll still get many of the same benefits. At CrossFit 4504 our coaches to get to know every athlete so that they can help them achieve the best results. Our classes are capped to 10 people so you always get plenty of personal attention.

Coach Lisa working with Melina

We are a warm, inclusive, family friendly box. Kids are always welcome and we have plenty of options to keep them safe while you get a great workout in. Invest some time in YOU!! What have you got to lose?

Kelsie is one of our fun 5am crew and she has been with us for a few months now. Her improvements during that time have been outstanding and we love her always positive attitude and willingness to give anything a crack. She has recently completed our 4 Week Pull Up Strength workshop and already has noticed some solid improvements. Here is a little of her story:

1. What brought you to CrossFit in the first place?

I’ve always been into fitness and the gym but could never quite stick to something long term. When I joined CrossFit I was definitely very nervous and had no clue what to do but I knew if it involved weights I was excited to start. The main reason I joined was to get myself out of my comfort zone and start achieving things I never thought I could do.

2. What was your first impression? How has that changed?

My first impression was that this is very overwhelming and how on earth am I ever going to be able to do these kinds of movements and also thinking all these people are going to judge me. It’s now been nearly 4 months since I joined and my first impression has completely changed. Learning the movements and practicing them has helped me better myself and I feel a lot more confident in the movements and as for the other members they are the most encouraging and supportive bunch of people I have ever met.

3. What was your first highlight?

Being able to do a pull up during the CrossFit Open this year. It was the only one I was able to do but it made me very proud of myself.

4. What are you working towards now?

I’m working towards being able to do pull ups, double unders and also to be able to run longer distances.

5. What’s your favourite CrossFit 4504 moment so far?

It would have to be by far competing in the CrossFit Open. I don’t think I have ever pushed myself to the limits I did at during the Open. It’s amazing what your body can do when you put your mind to it.

Tara has been training with us for almost a year now and has grown so much in both physical strength and her mental strength in that time. It has been amazing to watch her transform into a strong confident person who doesn’t let anything derail her determination. She trains with her niece Trinity and together they make our 630pm class awesome fun. We sat down and asked her to share a little of her CrossFit journey so far:

1. What brought you to CrossFit in the first place?

I have always liked fitness but needed motivation to get myself back into it. CrossFit seem to have everything that I was looking for…so I decided to take that jump.. best thing I have done!

2. What was your first impression? How has that changed?

After my first class… I was totally hooked.. I just loved the possibilities that lay ahead for me!! Now, I see my own progress but also the other people around me that are taking their own journey and the support in the Box makes it an awesome way to train!

3. What was your first highlight?

Have to say my first highlight was when I could get my first toes-to-bar… totally surprised me that I could actually do something like that!

4. What are you working towards now?

Working towards… well really just want to continue getting stronger and healthier and look forward to continuing reaching mile stones with the harder elements of CrossFit.

5. What’s your favourite CrossFit 4504 moment so far?

Just got my PB in Deadlift of 105kg… didn’t think I would be reaching those weights!!

Well Done Tara!! We love having you at CrossFit 4504 and part of our amazing family! Can’t wait to help you smash some more goals and have fun doing it!

One of the most conversations I have with people is about the cost of a membership at CrossFit 4504. I truly understand that our service may be a luxury for most people.

However, I started thinking about things a bit deeper and realized that although a CrossFit membership may take a bit of rearranging in your budget, it is most likely not as out of reach as you may think.

Life comes down prioritising values. Our truths and needs determine our choices. For example, I see people going out on Friday and Saturday nights, and I am willing to bet they spend on an average of $30-$50 each night (Over $200.00 a month),which is more than your CrossFit membership right there.

So, if someone values their weekend social life more than they do their health and wellness, then making this choice might be a difficult one. Don’t get me wrong we aren’t saint’s who never go out and enjoy ourselves but what we teach is balance and consistency.

And if we delve into some unhealthier habits like smoking which can cost an average of $50-$75 per week and is simply shortening your lifespan and inhibiting your wellness. The equation is clear, well if you value your wellness it is.

Consider what you can do in life if you are not healthy. You are on your way to diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other related diseases which can be caused or accelerated by not living a healthy life style. Also you may struggle to keep up with active kids and friends meaning you become a spectator in life, that’s not much fun really. Your exercise triggers your mind and your vitality. I am not selling you a get fit quick scheme but a life of feeling good all the time.

At CrossFit 4504 our classes work out to $8.33 per class, which when you consider it is very much like a small group PT session, where you could pay up to $30-$40 per session, the value is obvious. It is also cheaper than most boot camp classes at $10-$15 per class. The CrossFit 4504 difference is the level of programming, personal coaching, care, follow up and support/guidance given to all our community as part of your membership.

Our classes are capped to 10 people and you get that personal guidance from a coach who is only interested in you progressing safely and consistently. Also unlike the globe gyms where space is oversold because they KNOW that you simply won’t use your membership, they count on it, we WANT you in class! Not at the gym? You will hear from our coaches to see what we can do to help. You aren’t that faceless number to us, we know your story, we know your family and we actually care.

It all comes down to return on investment. Are going to invest in yourself, and make yourself a better version of you? Yes, CrossFit 4504 does that. Surround yourself with likeminded people who have a concern and vested interest in your health. Think about the last 5 people you have interacted with; can you say that they are in that role?

Choices come down to what we value. Value things that are important in the long term and I am willing to bet you will find yourself prioritizing your health over anything else.

Not all affiliates are the same. There can be vast differences in each box. When choosing an affiliate you need to look at all aspects from the culture of the community, to the programming and the coaches to see what suits your needs.
Look around and see what the class sizes are? Is everyone packed in like sardines? Does the coach know you’re even there some classes? Do you receive specific one on one cues doing a class? Is the community warm and inclusive? Is image more important than function? Are you taught how to move your body effectively and warmed up before each class? Does anyone notice when you don’t show up?

At CrossFit 4504 we are a dedicated CrossFit box committed to the founding principles of CrossFit. Everything we teach comes back to those principles.

We offer over 38 classes each week in our timetable to give you ample opportunity to get your sessions in. Each session runs for an hour and is fully coached meaning we guide you through a warm up, we teach the movements for that day, we coach you through the workout and then take you through stretching and mobility at the end of the session. You aren’t simply left to your own devices to try and figure out what you should be doing.

The focus of our coaches is optimal movement and we encourage our team to perfect their technique before adding load or intensity. Our programming is carefully structured to help you get the most from each session and to make continual safe progress. Our members continue to grow stronger each session and increase their work capacity and have a heap of fun doing it!!

We offer levels of programming within each class to suit all levels from elite to beginner and everyone in-between. Our classes are fun & challenging and most importantly safe. We don’t overcrowd the classes and cap numbers to ensure all members receive personal coaching each session. Whether you are our newest member or most experienced you still receive the same care and attention every single class.

If you aren’t in classes you can be sure you are missed and that our Head Coach Lisa will check in with you to see how you are and what we can do to help you. Every member is a valued part of our community. We want you here and training not just paying for space you don’t use. We are engaged and invested in your progress and no goal big or small is unimportant.

Our community is thriving and supportive and each member is accepted and welcomed. Everyone receives the same attention regardless of their ability. It’s a place when you can pursue your goals and be encouraged and supported every step of the way. There are no big egos, just everyday people trying to be the best they can. No one cares what size you are, what you wear or whether you come first last or somewhere in-between in a WOD. All that matters is you gave it your all and your fellow crew have so much respect for effort.

Everyone knows that regular exercise is good for the body. But exercise is also one of the most effective ways to improve your mental health. Regular exercise can have a profoundly positive impact on depression, anxiety, ADHD, and more. It also relieves stress, improves memory, helps you sleep better, and boosts overall mood. No matter your age or fitness level, you can learn to use exercise as a powerful tool to feel better.

Training is not just about how fast or how strong you are. People who exercise regularly tend to do so because it gives them an enormous sense of well-being. They feel more energetic throughout the day, sleep better at night, have sharper memories, and feel more relaxed and positive about themselves and their lives. And it’s also powerful medicine for many common mental health challenges. Our members at CrossFit 4504 find the regular sense of achievement they get from our classes boosts their self esteem as does the fun of training with friends.

It’s a powerful depression fighter for several reasons. Most importantly, it promotes all kinds of changes in the brain, including neural growth, reduced inflammation, and new activity patterns that promote feelings of calm and well-being. It also releases endorphins, powerful chemicals in your brain that energize your spirits and make you feel good. Finally, exercise can also serve as a distraction, allowing you to find some quiet time to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that feed depression. We see this happening every day in our gym, even our coaches can speak first hand how working through depression was assisted by their regular training and the positive supportive environment in classes. Our Head Coach Lisa has gone through depression herself and can speak honestly about it and understands the challenges that are faced. She also experienced first hand the benefits from her CrossFit training when she was at her lowest.

Sometimes when you’re suffering with stress, depression or anxiety the hardest part can be getting a new program started. It can be overwhelming and daunting. Here are some steps that can help you get started and take the pressure off yourself:

It’s okay to start small.

When you’re under the cloud of an emotional time and haven’t exercised for a long time, setting yourself huge goals like completing a marathon or working out for an hour every morning will only leave you more deflated if you fall short. Better to set yourself achievable goals and build up from there. At CrossFit 4504 our coaches can work with you on an achievable goal and schedule that is manageable and we can build on that.

Focus on activities you enjoy.

Any activity that gets you moving counts. That could include throwing a ball with a dog or friend, walking laps of a local lake or park (the weather has been stunning for this lately), or cycling to the park.

Make exercise a social activity.

Exercising with a friends or family will not only make exercising more fun and enjoyable, it can also help to motivate you to stick to a workout routine. You’ll also feel better than exercising alone. In fact, when you’re suffering from a mood disorder such as depression, the companionship can be just as important as the exercise. Find a group of community where you feel supported and included. CrossFit is different in that you aren’t just a faceless number and no one knows or cares if you are there or not. We in fact do notice and do care, and we also want you to have fun while you’re here.

The hour you spend in class with us should be the best hour of your day!! No matter what is going on outside the gym in your every day life this is your hour to focus on you and have our coaches focus on you. You don’t have to be the adult, boss, mum, dad, whatever, you can be you and use that time to find strength within yourself you didn’t know you had. This is your time!! Start today!!